May 25, 2011
Source: vitter.senate.gov
(Washington, D.C) – U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), Jim DeMint (R-SC) and 18 other senators today sent a letter to Speaker of the House John Boehner asking him not to pass the Senate’s adjournment resolution in order to block recess appointments by the Obama Administration. Specifically, the senators have concerns with the nominations of Elizabeth Warren to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Craig Becker to head the National Labor Relations Board.
“Obama has a poor track record of appointing some really controversial characters during congressional breaks. Elizabeth Warren and Craig Becker rank up there among those I’ve had the greatest concerns about,” said Vitter.
“The Republican House has stopped President Obama’s ability to ram through his reckless liberal bills through Congress. Now the president is trying to stack agencies with liberal ideologues to ram through his agenda by regulation. Unelected and unconfirmed partisans at the NLRB, FCC, EPA and other agencies are destroying jobs and hurting our economy. Republicans need to fight back and stop recess appointment of controversial nominees that would never be confirmed in the proper process,” DeMint said.
In the past President Obama has recess appointed controversial nominations like Donald Berwick at the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, James Cole at the Department of Justice and Phillip Coyle at the Department of Commerce.
The senators who signed the letter are: Vitter, DeMint, Kelly Ayotte (NH), John Barrasso (WY), Dan Coats (IN), Tom Coburn (OK), John Cornyn (TX), Mike Crapo (ID), Dean Heller (NV), Jim Inhofe (OK), Johnny Isakson (GA), Ron Johnson (WI) Mark Kirk (IL), Jim Risch (ID), Mike Lee (UT), Rand Paul (KY), Marco Rubio (FL), John Thune (SD), Pat Toomey (PA) and Roger Wicker (MS).
The text of the letter is below
May 25, 2011
The Honorable John Boehner
Speaker of the House
United States House of Representatives
H-232 The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Mr. Speaker:
President Obama has used recess appointments to fill powerful positions with individuals whose views are so outside the mainstream that they cannot be confirmed by the Senate of the United States. Many of these individuals are using their positions to implement policies that destroy jobs, and infringe upon the freedom of the American people.
In 2007, the Senate limited its recesses to three days by employing pro-forma sessions in a successful attempt to thwart President Bush’s recess appointment powers. Article I, Section 5 of the United States Constitution states, “Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days [.]”
Given President Obama’s indifference to the Senate’s constitutional authority, and the American people’s right to scrutinize his appointees through regular order of advise and consent, we urge you to refuse to pass any resolution to allow the Senate to recess or adjourn for more than three days for the remainder of the president’s term.
Sincerely,
David Vitter
Jim DeMint
Kelly Ayotte
John Barrasso
Dan Coats
Tom Coburn
John Cornyn
Mike Crapo
Dean Heller
Jim Inhofe
Johnny Isakson
Ron Johnson
Mark Kirk
Jim Risch
Mike Lee
Rand Paul
Marco Rubio
John Thune
Pat Toomey
Roger Wicker
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